Needless school fees fight

THE EDITOR: Without taking sides, I think the apparent impasse between the Ministry of Education and the Association of Private Secondary Schools over fees is a woefully unnecessary fight and worse yet it does not speak well of the diplomatic and negotiating skills of our educators. This is clearly a non-fight that should not be played out in the public domain.

The fact is that the Government needs the support of the private schools and the private schools need the continuing funding and partnership of the Government. And most of all the students need the unique product that is delivered by the private schools.

The history of the private schools and the dedication of their teachers, long before the country had money, is a narrative rich in unselfishness and love that has been translated into countless lives that would not have found purpose without these schools. The older people could tell stories about when teachers were “paid” with ground provision, eggs and other supplies from the bounty of the parents of their charges.

Indeed, teaching is a noble profession/calling and everybody needs the money but it will be a sad day if private secondary schools give the impression they are in it for the money.

There are win-win-win solutions to this impasse and given that many of the social problems we face as a country are rooted in the deficits of our educational institutions, we cannot afford this unnecessary fight. We need all hands on deck.